Welcome to our new calendar feature BIG WEEK! Each week, our expert Arts & Culture writers recommend the best things for you to do in the best city on earth: Arts, Music, Food & Drink, Stage, Film, Nightlife, and more.
ARTS
Tons more to do and support right here.
THU/12-OCTOBER 9: VIAJE A LA LUNA (A TRIP TO THE MOON) The world never got to see Spanish Surrealist Federico García Lorca’s sole film. Though the production did begin on his script for Viaje a la luna—composed of 70-plus brief scenes, to be loosely interpreted by Lorca’s collaborator Emilio Amero in the 1930s in Mexico City, Loca was subsequently murdered by the Spanish Nationalist forces a few years later, and production on the film lost steam. Happily, Diego Villalobos and Rodrigo Ortiz Monasterio have curated this group show in which creatives conjured what might have been, if the project had continued apace. A performance by Francesco Pedraglio accompnaies the opening, and on Fri/13 a curators’ talk will take place. Wattis Institute, SF. More info here.
THU/12: PRIDE AND PRESENCE: PRINTS REFLECTING A DECADE OF RESISTANCE A chance to revel in the creativity of queer elders this Pride month! LGBTQ+ senior services organization Openhouse paired with Richard Bolingbroke (who died in December) to present this curation of large-scale 1980s screen prints by 20 artists. The exhibition has been out and about since last week, but tonight is its official Pride party. Haight Street Art Center, SF. More info here.
FRI/13: 15TH ANNUAL SF PEACEMAKER AWARDS Community Boards Neighborhood Mediation Program has stepped in to assist over 58,000 San Franciscans problem-resolve since its founding in 1976. The organization’s awards celebrate advocates and community constructors who make the city healthier and safer. This year’s honorees are high schooler and mediator and Palestine walk-out organizer Ixchel Dorabji-Reyes as well as Alice Shikina, whose many conflict resolution skills include assisting in police review processes and assisting couples to divorce peacefully. The event’s musical guest is singer-songwriter and former undocumented immigrant Diana Gameros. City Club of San Francisco. More info here.
FRI/13-SUN/15: QUEER WOMEN OF COLOR FILM FESTIVAL The theme of this year’s festival, the 21st, is “Fierce Determination,” showcasing 49 films across 7 screenings—”from the ancestral traditions of Mauna Kea to Black Southern liberation stories—illuminating how LBTQIA+ BIPOC communities persist, thrive, and imagine liberatory futures through radical artistry and collective care.” Presidio Theatre, SF. More info here.
FRI/13-SUN/15: SUCCULENT EXPO This is thee spot for scoring rare cacti, and who isn’t into that? Over 40 vendors will be hawking spiky and smooth specimens, and there will be all kinds of presentations on growing advice and conservation topics. Stop by the “plant hotel” to check in your new little guys and continue shopping for their future roommates. Golden Gate Park County Fair Building, SF. More info here.
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SAT/14: DYKE MARCH SIGN AND BANNER MAKING PARTY Can you really not at all wait for the Dyke March this year? (And have you donated to its 2025 renaissance?) You’re far from the only one, as you will find out by attending this session of crafting meant to leave you and others with the pithiest, sweetest, most rageful protest sign to host aloft as you enjoy your Sapphic saunter. 465 South Van Ness, SF. More info here.
SUN/15: TENDERLOIN SUNDAY STREETS Hit the block today for the TL’s chance at Sunday Street community action—the opener for the jam-packed I Love Tenderloin Week. This edition features a block party hosted by the Asia Pacific Islander Cultural Center with artist Meesha Goldberg’s “Feral Princess, Sacred Waters” performance based on a Korean shamanic myth. Block party on Golden Gate Avenue, between Jones and Hyde Streets. More info here.
SUN/15: PLANT DADDY DAY This Richmond nursey invites all comers—”no matter how you daddy”—for a day of fatherly botanical appreciation. In addition to Pop-friendly blooms, they’ll be raffling off a nice new red wagon (imagine Dad trucking around his tools in one of those this harvest season!), as well as the chance for two dads to do a Supermarket Sweep style mad dash to see how many four-inch plants they can collect in a four-wheeled crimson cart. Curious Flora Nursery, Richmond. More info here.
MUSIC
Hit up John-Paul Shiver’s Under the Stars column for great musical picks every week.
THU/12: VALENCIA LIVE! We want to see you in the streets—between 16th and 19th, that is. San Francisco’s brand new night market, located in the Mission District, will take its sophomore voyage this week, when Valencia Live!, a FREE all-ages monthly street party and neighborhood celebration, takes over the city’s premier nightlife district—the one that features those tasty burritos. From 5-10pm, the gathering will feature performances from local artists on stages set up by Mission businesses and community groups every second Thursday of the month. Valencia between 16th and 19th Streets, SF. More info here.
SAT/14: GUMBY’S JUNK Just about a month in advance of the annual Mosswood Meltdown, Oakland-based art-rock trio Gumby’s Junk shall play “Mosswood Ground Zero,” which is Thee Stork Club. Rock critics, snooty blog writers, and influencers from all points of the internet just can’t quite pin down the self-described “nightmare cartoon” that Eli Streich, Emmalee Johnson-Kao, and Jas Stade have assembled (and played Mosswood proper in 2024). And just wait until production finesse is handed down by rock legend Greg Saunier of Deerhoof on the group’s upcoming sophomore album Business & Pleasure, which is dropping in late August. Thee Stork Club, Oakland. More info here.
other staff picks… FRI/13-SUN/15: SAN FRANCISCO JAZZ FEST Three dozens lives acts offer syncopated delights at SFJAZZ’s annual summertime extravaganza, for which concerts will take place both inside facilities and out, sheltered by various nearby tents. Program highlights in 2025 include Salami Rose Joe Louis, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Idris Ackamoor & The Ankhestra plus Charles Lloyd Sky Quartet, Braxton Cook, Lakecia Benjamin & Phoenix Quartet, and so many more. Various Hayes Valley venues, SF. More info here.
other staff picks… MON/16: WE’VE COME THIS FAR BY MUSIC: JUNETEENTH MUSICAL SPECTACLE The The 31-year-old AfroSolo Theatre Company welcomes all to the Commonwealth Club to celebrate Juneteenth via classical, spiritual, and gospel sounds. The program looks to communicate “the unique experience of being Black,” and means to do so in an inclusive manner—an option to livestream is available to those who can’t physically attend. Commonwealth Club, SF. More info here.
FOOD & DRINK
Tamara Palmer’s Good Taste Good Taste column tells you where to stick your fork every week.
WED/11: ONE MARKET’S LAST DAY Before the beloved One Market Restaurant (1 Market, SF) closes for good on Wednesday after 32 years in business, consider stopping in for a meal that could include a rainbow latke (salmon lox, corn cream, avocado, and salmon roe) and a Harvey Milkshake (vanilla ice cream, strawberry purée, white crème de cacao, and Stoli Vanilla). I’ll miss the restaurant and especially the glorious prime rib—thank you to Chef Mark Dommen. For more Pride-centric food ideas this month, check out my recent Good Taste guide.
LUKE’S LOCAL OPENS IN INNER SUNSET The empty space that faux health chain Lemonade left for years is now home to a beautiful new location of Luke’s Local at 1266 Ninth Avenue in San Francisco, which had a grand opening on May 31. It’s the company’s fourth neighborhood market in the city. Big respect to how everything is laid out and designed with a real eye for color. Shoppers will find quite a few in-house, grab and go foods such as sushi rolls that looked really good when I popped in over the weekend. Right now, I’m kicking myself that I didn’t buy the Luke’s brand, ready to bake brown sugar cookies with butterscotch chips. I am an idiot. As the name suggests, there are a lot of local brands to support, but it’s also a place to LOL at some sticker shock at various imported goods, like pine nuts currently costing $47.49!
STAGE
Charles Lewis III hits up theaters and performance spaces every week for his Drama Masks column.
other staff picks… TUE/17 THROUGH JUNE 22: W. KAMAU BELL “You hope you’ll connect to people; sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t,” this beloved local stand-up told us back in April. “I’m trying to produce something that I’ve never seen in the world; something I can stand behind forever.” He’s making good on the positive impact front with this last-minute run of shows to support Berkeley Rep, which will benefit Bay Area arts organizations whose funding has recently been on the chopping block of all levels of government. Berkeley Repertory Theatre. More info here.
THROUGH SUN/15: THE BIG REVEAL I didn’t know anything about Berkeley-born Sasha Velour until I sat down to watch this show, in which Velour stars, having wrote the titular book that serves as its basis. The production serves as both autobiography for Velour (blessed to have grown up with a family supportive of their queerness), an abridged history of drag as an art form, and a big-budget proper drag show. The latter is where it truly thrives, with Cosette “Ettie” Pin’s gorgeous kitsch set and the army of costumers and video artists turning Velour into a truly larger-than-life spectacle from which one can’t stop staring. It’s an Oasis show with a Taylor Mac budget and it is glorious. Berkeley Repertory Theatre. More info here.
RUNS THOUGH JUNE 22: BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL This is exactly what you think: a speedy run-through of the storied career of the eponymous musician, with emphasis on his biggest hits. It was a Broadway hit and will, no doubt, add to his already-lucrative catalogue for years. The show is what the kids today call “mid”: not really bad, but not really attempting to be more than what it is. It knows that the audiences showed up to sing along to “Sweet Caroline”. If that’s all you want, you’ll be satisfied. For the rest of us, the house is kept bright enough that we won’t fall asleep. Golden Gate Theatre, SF. More info here.
RUNS THROUGH JUNE 29: HAPPY PLEASANT VALLEY: A SENIOR SEX SCANDAL MURDER-MYSTERY MUSICAL You’ll never know how much the world needed a sex-positive musical farce about randy senior living until you see this one, produced by CenterRep and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Resident June (Emily Kuroda) has once again gone to bed with a blue-pill-popping partner who didn’t wake up. Fortunately, the murder-mystery aficionado—she even has a framed Jessica Fletcher photo hung on her wall—is determined to prove her innocence through old-fashioned sleuthing. A fine show and welcome relief from current dire headlines. Lescher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek. More info here.
FILM
Dennis Harvey’s long-running Screen Grabs has tons more flicks to recommend.
other staff picks… WED/11: GRANITE RAPIDS MOON This flick is likely the first feature film shot 100 percent within Grand Canyon National Park, and follows a father spurred by an unexpected message in a birthday card from his daughter to trek through the wilderness. Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael. More info here.
FRI/13-AUGUST 30: ROBERT ALTMAN AT 100 The most reliable thing about this director was his unpredictability. His filmography reflects the restless curiosity of a mind forever drawn to exploring unfamiliar ideas and milieus. That’s certainly illustrated by the 13 features in this summer series observing his birth centenary at Berkeley’s BAMPFA. It is heavy on the Me Decade releases that established his auteur status, but also has much of the best of his later work: Atypically precise 1990 portrait-of-an-artist Vincent & Theo, which was originally made as a Dutch TV miniseries; acid Michael Tolkin-penned Hollywood satire The Player (1992); the next year’s kaleidoscopic mashup of Raymond Carver stories, Short Cuts; and 2001’s Gosford Park, in which the director turned out to be an inexplicably ideal choice to realize an Upstairs, Downstairs sort of classic British class dissection as written by Julien Fellowes. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. More info here.
SUN/15 AND JUNE 27: BRUCE CONNER: FILMS FROM THE BAMPFA COLLECTION A contemporary of Altman’s who toiled in very different media—experimental as opposed to commercial cinema, plus the gamut of gallery arts—is also getting a posthumous retrospective at BAMPFA starting this weekend, an overview of the longtime San Francisco resident’s short screen works. Conner pioneered the collage film with 1958’s A Movie, sewn together from miscellaneous preexisting footage bought on the cheap. Its simultaneously antic and apocalyptic mic take on mid-century American life would be amplified further in 1967’s Report, which remixes visual and audio records related to JFK’s assassination—encapsulating the process of collective shock becoming collective myth. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. More info here.
PRIDE MONTH FLICKS There is plenty of LGBTQ+ content on local screens even before the Big Kahuna of Frameline arrives next week. The Smith Rafael is providing a prelude to that event with the third edition of its annual Pride series, with five Frameline selections being shown this weekend (Fri/20-Sun/22). CinemaSF is doing its bit in June with related titles at its three venues, notably including two cross-dressing Japanese cult items from 1969, Black Rose Mansion (4-Star) and Funeral Parade of Roses (Balboa). The 4-Star also has throuple-y Y Tu Mama Tambien, Wong Kar-Wai’s Happy Together and early Almodovar Pepi, Luci, Bom. At the Balboa there’s Cheryl Dunye’s The Watermelon Woman, Sapphic youth comedies Bottoms and But I’m A Cheerleader, Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho, and Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight. While the Vogue has Sean Penn as Milk, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and mainstream drag-a-paloozas To Wong Foo and The Birdcage.
NIGHTLIFE
Marke B. often knows what’s up.
Quick note: Beloved DJ and founder of Gold Bloc Records Joshua Olds has passed away too young; please consider contributing to this fundraiser to help his son Gavin complete his education.
FRI/13: BPT BLOCK PARTY We love Bar Part Time—the natural wine bar that slips in some of the best DJ sets and drag shows in the city—to death, and the annual spring block parties it hosts are a good ol-fashioned SF hoot. Join Bored Lord and BPT co-owner Jeremy Castillo outside Mercury Cafe in Hayes Valley during the evening (5pm-8:30pm), then high-tail it to BPT itself for the afters with Ari Goldman. 5pm-8:30pm, Mercury Cafe, SF. More info here.
FRI/13: DEEP SF House music will save us! Well, at least it will being us together in sweeter harmony. Deep house party Deep SF returns with legends in tow: spiritual guide Osunlade, LA maestro Marques Wyatt, and fromer LA football player turned beats fanatic Big Cee. 9pm-3am, Great Northern, SF. More info here.
SAT/14: ALL DAY I DREAM OF GOLDEN DAYS The often-annual All Day I Dream fests in Golden Gate Park distill the Burning Man-resonant electronic dance spirit SF into something homey and welcoming, issuing in summer vibes. DJ Lee Burridge heads it up. Noon-7pm, West Hellman Hollow, Golden Gate Park, SF. More info here.
